Pneumatic pump.



N0.709,2|2. Patented Sept. I6,` V|9l02.

R. w. ELLIOTT. PNEUMATIC PUMP.

(Applctio'n filed Feb. 19, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WWA/5555:

UNITED STATES RALPH W." ELLIOTT, OF OAKLEY, CALIFORNIA.

PN EU NIATIC PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,212, datedSeptember 16, 1902.

Application filed February 19, 1902. Serial No. 94,784. (No model.)

A useful Improvementsin Pneumatic Pumps,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic pumps,

. the object of my invention being to provide an apparatus of thischaracter which shall be cheap and simple in construction, in which theworking parts shall be readily accessible, in which the cylinder itselfused in connection with such pump shall be void of such working ormovable parts, and in which such movable parts shall be located at asufficient height above the cylinder that they may stand out of thewater when in use.

A further object of the invention is to reduce to aminimum the frictionof the moving parts. t

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified,and particularly pointed out in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, the cylinderbeing shown in section, of my improved pneumatic pump in the position inwhich the cylinder is filled with Water. Fig. 2 is a similar View of theparts in theposition in which the cylinder is empty of water. Fig. 3 isan enlarged side view of the valve-operative mechanism. Fig. 4 is asection on the line A A of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a section showing theconstruction of the three-way valve.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the pipe for conveyingcompressed air tothe cylinder 2 to discharge the water upward therefrom.i Said pipe is connected, by means of a flexible tube 3, with the top ofthe cylinder, so as to discharge the compressed air'into the upper endthereof.

4 represents the discharge-pipe by which the Water is delivered orforced from the cylinder, and it is connected with the cylinder by meansof a iiexible tube 5, connected with a T-joint 6, one member of which isconnected with a pipe 7, whichruns down through the top of the cylinderto a point sufficiently above the bottom thereof to permit the automaticvalve 8 in the bottom of the cylinder to rise. Said discharge-pipe 4terminates in a checkvalve 29, which supports the column of water forcedinto said discharge-pipe.

The com pressed-air-feed pipe 1 and the water-discharge pipe 4 areconnected together by braces 9 10, which are apertured to form guidesfor a squared valve-actuating rod 12, which forms a vertical extensionof the upper member of the Tjoint. The function of this rod l2 is toacruate the valve 13, which controls the passage of air to and from thecylinder. I employ the movement of the cylinder itself to actu ate andcontrol said valve. Thus supposing that the cylinder is full of Waterand at its greatest depth, as shown in Fig. l, and compressed air thenenters by the pipe 1, the valve 13 being open for that purpose, the airentering into the top of the cylinder Will by its pressure force theWater up through the Water-discharge pipe 4 and will gradually empty thecylinder of water. The cylinder is so Weighted that its Weight willoverbal ance the buoyancy of the cylinder, due toits immersion in thewater and the air discharged thereinto in increasing volume until thelevel of the water has reached a predetermined level not far from thebottom of the cylinder. During this period the cylinder will besuspended from the upper brace9 by means of a collar 14, secured on thevalve-actuating rod, which collar rests upon the top of said brace. Bythe continued increase in the volume of air the buoyancy of the cylinderwould eventually overbalance its Weight and would be sufficient to raisesaid cylinder; but this is prevented by means of the engagement with theupper edge of the collar 14 of a spring-actuated pin 15 in a recess 16of an arm 17, pivoted to an arm 1S,

'xedly mounted upon the compressed-air pipe 1. The arms 17 18 have theirmeeting edges cut away, as shown at 19, above their pivot to letthe arm17 swing upward,while said meeting edges below the pivot abut singly toprevent downward movement of the arm 17. A coiled spring 2O normallyholds the pivoted arm downward with sufficient force to hold saidcylinder down until the buoyancy thereof has increased to such a degreeas to overcome the pressure of the spring. When that is the case, theupward pressure of the collar IOO 14 ou the under side of said pin 15swings said arm A17 upward out of the way and the collar moves past thesame, so that the cylinder and the .valve-actuating rod move upward in asingle quick motion, carrying them through the entire extent of themovement of the cylinder. A second collar 2l, secured on thevalve-actuating rod at a lower point thereof, will then abut against theunderside of the upper brace 9 and will limit the upward movement of thecylinder. At the same time a hook 22 on the upper end ofthevalveactuating rod l2 will pass a spring-actuated pin 23, having a lowerbeveled surface 24, so that the pointI of said hook will pass to theupper side of said pin and will engage the same. The flexible tubes 3 5permit the cylinder to rise freely underits buoyancy. When rising, thevalve-actuating rod will actuate the valve 13 by means of a lever 25,the end ot' which passes through a vertical slot 26 in the rod, so thatupon the upward movement of said rod said lever 25 is rocked. The valve13 is shown in detail in Fig. 5 and is such that as the lever 25 isrocked the compressed air is shut off from passage to the cylinder, andat the same time the compressed air in the cylinderis opened to exhaust.As the air is exhausted from the cylinder, so that the pressure in thecylinder is below the Water-pressure, the valve 8 in the bottom of thecylinder is automatically raised by the pressure` of the water below thesame, thereby admitting water into said cylinder to displace the airtherein. The water then rises in the cylinder until it has been filled;but the cylinder is prevented from sinking gradually, which it wouldotherwise do underits own weight, its buoyancy being gradually reducedby the displacement of the air therein. This is etij'ected by means of aspring 27, which drop suddenly into its original position.

holds up an arm 28, pivoted upon a fixed arm 29, secured upon thecompressed -air pipe. Said arm 28 carries the pin 23 which engaged thehook 22, and thus the cylinder is held up. The tension of the spring 27is so regulated as to hold up said arm 28, and thereby hold up thecylinder until the water has completely filled the cylinder. The loss ofbuoyancy of the cylinder will then have become so great that the weightwill haveovercome the tensionvof the spring. The arm 28 will then swingdownward, thereby releasing the hook 22 and permitting the cylinder toThe drop of the cylinder will close the valve to exhaust and will openit to the passage of compressed air to the cylinder. The operation willthen be repeated as before.

In order to prevent friction between the sides of the cylinder and thewall 29 of a well or casing in which the cylinder worksI provideantifriction-rollers 30, mounted on the exterior wall of said cylinder.

The following are important and novel features of my invention: Theair-inlet and water-outlet pipes are rigid and support the guides forthe rod which extends upward from the cylinder, thereby permitting thecylinder to be guided in its vertical movement by devices attached onlyto said pipes. This enables the device to be lowered in the water in anyplace, narrow or broad, without any previous preparation or letting downof a frame to support the cylinder in its vertical movement. Thecylinder is guided and supported by the pipes which conduct the air tothe cylinder and discharge the water therefrom. A second importantfeature is that the valve and the parts actuating the same can bemaintained entirely above the water. A third feature is that all theparts are arranged within a small horizontal area, so that the cylinderand the parts can be lowered into a well of diameter very small, verylittle greater than the cylinder itself.

I claim- 1. The combination of vertical rigid air-inlet and water-outletpipes, upper and lower horizontal guides extending between the saidpipes and connected thereto at their ends, a tank, a rod extendingvertically from said tank and slidably guided by said guides, athree-way valve in the air-inlet pipe communicating in one of itspositions with the at- 9 mosphere, means actuated by said rod foroperating the three-way valve, a rigid waterdelivery pipe extending tothe interior of the cylinder near the bot-tom thereof, a flexible pipeconnection between said latter pipe and the vertical rigid water-outletpipe, a iexible pipe connection between the air-inlet pipe and the upperend of the tank, and a checkvalve in the water-delivery pipe,substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tankhaving a valve-controlled opening in the bottom thereof to admit waterthereinto, inflexible vertical compressed-air-inlet and Water-outletpipes, a rod attached to the tank, a guide for said rod flexibly carriedupon said pipes, a pipe leading upward from the bottom of the cylinderfor delivering the water to the wateroutlet pipe, a flexible pipeconnection between the two latter pipes, a flexible pipe connectionbetween the top of the cylinder and the compressed-air-inlet pipe,andathree- Way valve in said latter pipe opening in one position to theatmosphere and actuated by said rod in its vertical movement,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

R. w. ELLIoTT.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, B. GORFINKEL.

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